A veritable fabric feast is finally ready for you to dig in and digest it. Now — no matter where you live — you can see almost 8,000 of the 13,000 items in the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection (HLATC). As HLATC curator Maya Lea puts it, the famed fiber resource at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has been "unlocked" for global public access to both images and cataloging information. It is up and running in a digitized, searchable database which you can access via the HLATC homepage. As a "friend" of the collection, I can only join with Maya and her staff in saying yippee! The two pieces displayed here give you a tiny taste of the riches you'll discover.
Hat: 1950-1997. Indus Kohistan, Pakistan. Extensively embroidered and embellished female child's hat constructed from black cotton. (Copyright: HLATC / UW)
And, as always, if you live in the area there's a long list of upcoming fiber events to enjoy:
January Book Discussion: The Lady and the Unicorn
Date and location TBA. Free. Set in 15th-century Brussels, this novel by Tracy Chevalier contains lots of information about tapestry-making. There will be a tapestry technique demo, a short talk on the Unicorn tapestries, and a discussion of the book.
Crocheted-Bag Workshop
Sunday, February 14 AND Sunday, February 28, 1:00-3:00 p.m. (2-session class)
Location TBA. Cost is $30 members/$40 non-members, advance registration required. Local legend and master crochet artist, Betsy Tuttle, will teach you how to make a reusable shopping bag of her own design from durable reclaimed fiber (provided). No previous crochet experience is necessary; limited to 15 participants.
Caring for Your Textiles Workshop
Sunday, March 7, 1:00-3:00 p.m. Location TBA. Free
Learn how to properly care for your textiles to preserve them for the future. The HLATC’s assistant curator and collection manager, Diana Zlatanovski, will offer practical guidelines for the care and storage of your own textiles at home.
Watch the events listings on the HLATC homepage for more specifics on these and other events.
Arpillera: 1973-2000. Arpilleras were created by women in Peru. The tradition began as a response to the brutality of General Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship which began in 1973. (Copyright: HLATC / UW)
Oh my. What inspiration will be found here.
Posted by: Lisa at Greeenbow | Friday, November 20, 2009 at 06:05 AM
Thanks for this great reference find! I am sure a long time will be spent looking through this treasure trove.
Posted by: john hopper | Saturday, February 06, 2010 at 05:17 AM
Arpilleras are made in Peru and Chile. The Chilean arpilleras protest the Pinochet regime and often came with small packets on the back with little notes about the piece. The ones I have seen from Peru are less political and do not have the note pocket in back.
(Not an expert....just my observations from personal travel and chats with Chilean friends)
Posted by: Cristy Davies | Saturday, April 17, 2010 at 12:15 PM